Belt conveyer



Nov.Y 7, 1939.

` M. A. Kr-:NDALL BELT CONVEYER Filed Feb, 15. 1957' the mined materials.

Patented Nov. 7, 1939 PATENT OFFICE` BELT CONVEYER Myron A. Kendall, Aurora, Ill., assignor to Stephens-Adamson Mfg. Co., a corporation of Illinois Application February 13, 1937, Serial No. 125,572

` 14. claims.

This invention relates to belt conveyers, and has for its principal object to automatically guide or train a troughed belt in both directions of travel, thereby making it possible to quickly rev-erse the belt at any time. That is accomplished in the present instance by making the belt automatically rock the inclined troughing rollers about a horizontal axis, and hence tilt them in the direction of travel. The construction is particularly advantageous in conveyers used in mines, for it makes it possible to run the conveyer in lone direction to take men, tools and equipment to Work, and in the opposite direction to return them and also to convey The construction is also very advantageously used by builders, road contractors, etc., for the reason that it can be used to transport men, tools, equipment and materials in both directions.

In the drawing- Fig. 1 is a transverse section through a belt conveyer, showing one` embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is an end view of one of the carriers and associated parts, indicating the rocking movement of the troughing rollers;

Fig. 3 is a transverse section through a belt conveyor, showing another embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 4 is an end elevation of one of the carriers showing the details of the mounting;

Fig. 5 is a partial transverse section through the belt conveyer, showing a third form of the invention; and

Fig. 6 is an end elevation of one of the carriers and associated parts, showing details oi the mounting.

These particular embodiments and th-e corresponding description, however, are used for the purpose of disclosure only, and it is realized that the substance of the invention may be embodied in a variety of other forms.

In Figs. 1 and 2 the rollers I0, II and I2 are journaled on shafts I3, I4 and I5, mounted in side supports or brackets I6 and I1, and intermediatesupports or brackets I8 and I9. A truss rod 2U, passing through arms 2l on the side supports I 6 and I1, and notches 22 in the lower ends of the intermediate supports I8 and I9, is equipped at its ends with nuts 23. Between the adjacent brackets the truss rod is inclosed within lengths of tubing 24.

'Ihe supports I 6 and I1,` together with the shafts I3, I4 and I5, form the compression member of a truss in which the intermediate supports I8 and I9 form the thrust members and the truss rod 2D forms the tensionmember. By adjusting the nuts 23 the truss can be set in its proper position, and by making the lengths of tubing 24 correct for the distances they can be clamped between the supports to make the structure very rigid while being handled and shipped.

Each of the side supports I6 and I1 has a trunnion 25 projecting laterally, which rests upon the channel members 26 and is held in place by bearing brackets 21, secured by bolts 28. The trunnions 25 have their upper and lower faces 29 and 30 oppositely inclined, as best seen in Fig. 2, to giver a sort of knife edge character to the bearing for the carrier.

With this arrangement when the belt is traveling to the right, as indicated by the arrow in Fig. `2, the carrier will automatically rock to the right, and thus incline the troughing rollers I!) and I2 and make them guide or train the belt in the middle of the carrier. Upon reversing the belt it will immediately rock the carrier in the opposite direction with a like effect. The inclined faces on the trunnions 25 allow the necessary movement, and by contact with the channels 26 in the bearing brackets 21 also limit the movement to the selected degree, preferably tWo to three degrees in eachdirection.

In the carrier shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the side brackets 3| and intermediate brackets 32 are mounted directly on an angle bar 33, which serves as the real base of the carrier. The flanges of the angle bar are inclined downwardly at an angle of forty-iive degrees, as best seen in Fig. 4,

I and it is supported upon knife edge bearings 36,

formed on brackets having flat base portions 31 and overhanging lianges 33, both of which have openings for fastening bolts 39.

The side brackets 3l have laterally extending arms 40, received between the overhanging arms 38 and the base portions 31 of the bearing brackets, and it will be seen from Fig. 4 that the clearances allow a limited rocking movement of the carrier as a whole at both sides of the vertical. with elongated openings 4I to receive the bolts 39.

The form shown in Figs. 5 and 6 is quite similar to that shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The angle bar 42, however, that forms the base of the carrier is somewhat shorter, and the side brackets 43 are equipped. with trunnions 44, extending laterally and received in bearings 45 on brackets 46 secured to the side channels 26 by bolts 41. The brackets 43 also have spaced lugs 48, adapted to strike the upper faces of the bearing brackets 46 and form stop limits for the rocking movement of the carrier.

Those skilled in th-e art will make many other forms to suit particular conditions or personal preference.

I claim as my inventionl. In a belt conveyer, a troughing carrier 'in- In this instance the arms 43 are provided Il l.)

ways from the vertical toy automatically tilt the rollers in the direction of travel, and means to limit the rocking movement.

2. In a belt conveyer, a troughing carrier including rollers at least two oi which are oppositely inclined to support the sides of the belt and supports for the rollers, a mounting for the carrier allowing it to rock freely both ways automatically from the vertical to tilt the inclined rollers in the direction of travel, and means to limit the rocking movement of the carrier.

3. In a belt conveyer, a carrier including a pair of supports spaced apart, a depressed compression member between the supports, rollers on the compression member two of which are oppositely inclined to support the sides of the belt, a tension member below the compression member and connected with the supports, strut means between the compression and tension members, aligned ybearings for the supports allowing the carrier as a unit to rock freely both ways automatically from the vertical, and means to limit the rocking movement.

4. In a belt conveyer, a carrier including oppositely inclined rollersl and spaced supports, bearings for the supports allowing the carrier as a unit to rock freely both ways automatically from the vertical to tilt the inclined rollers in the direction of travel, and means to limit the rocking movement.

5. In a belt conveyer, a carrier including a frame and oppositely inclined rollers to support the sides of the belt, trunnions on the carrier, trunnion bearings for the trunnions allowing the carrier to rock freely both ways automatically from the vertical to tilt the oppositely inclined rollers in the direction of travel, and means to limit the rocking movement.

6. In a belt conveyer, a carrier including an angle rbar with its flanges inclined downwardly at 45 to the vertical and supports on the angle bar for oppositely inclined troughing rollers, knife-edge bearings for the angle bar allowing the carrier to rock both ways from the vertical to tilt the inclined rollers in the direction of travel, and

means to limit the rocking movement.

7. In a belt conveyer, a carrier including an angle bar with its anges inclined downwardly, brackets on the angle bar, troughing rollers supported by the brackets, knife-edge bearings i'or the angle bar allowing it to rock both ways from the vertical to tilt the troughing rollers in the direction of travel, and means to limit the rocking movement comprising arms on the angle bar and cooperating stops.

8. In a belt conveyer, a carrier unit, in the form of a truss comprising a compression member, a tension member associated therewith, said compression member having a substantially horizontol roller supporting portion and having outwardly and upwardly extending roller supporting portions, belt supporting rollers on said portions, supporting means, means movably connecting said truss to said supporting means and so constructed that said truss turns freely about a substantially horizontal axis in the direction of movement of the conveyer belt when the latter is moved either forwardly or rearwardly, means for limiting such movements, and strut means between said tension and compression members.

9. In a belt conveyer, a roller, means for supporting said roller for forming a conveyer unit, supporting means, means for pivotally mounting said unit on said means to move freely about a substantially horizontal axis, and means for limiting the pivotal movement of said unit in opposite directions beyond the vertical plane of said axis.

10. In a conveyer, the combination with a main frame, of a reversible belt thereon, means for maintaining said belt in alignment during travel in either direction including an idler supporting frame, belt troughing idler means on said supporting frame, means mounting said supporting frame for free but limited pivotal movement on said main frame about a fixed horizontal axis passing below the belt and in both clockwise and counter-clockwise directions from a plane passing through the normal axis of rotation of the troughing idler means and the pivotal axis.

11. A belt centering device comprising a main frame, a belt idler supporting frame, a pair of idlers each having a shaft with its ends supported on said frame and each inclined upwardly with its outermost edge highest, and means supporting said supporting frame for limited tilting movement on said main frame about a fixed horizontal axis which passes below the topmost points of the lower ends of said idlers.

12. A conveyer unit adapted to support a conveyer belt, said unit comprising a trussed support, at least two oppositely inclined rollers on said support for supporting said belt in the form of a trough for holding and transporting material, a supporting bracket member for supporting said unit, means for rockably mounting said unit on said supporting bracket member and for supporting said unit so that the major portion of said unit will be above said supporting bracket member, said means being so constructed that said unit is free to rock to each side of the vertical but with the outer ends of said rollers moving through a greater distance than the inner ends thereof, and means to limit the rocking movement to an angle not exceeding 3 from the vertical to either side thereof.

13. A trussed belt conveyer unit comprising a compression member having at least two oppositely inclined rollers mounted thereon for receiving a conveyer belt thereon to form a conveyer trough, a tension member beneath said rollers, means connecting an end of said compression member to a corresponding tension member at each end of said unit, struts between said tension and compression members, a supporting bracket, and means for pivotally mounting said first-named means on said bracket so that said unit is free to move automatically a limited distance to either side of the vertical, said last-named means being below the major portion of said unit.

14. In a belt conveyer, a main frame, a carrier belt, a plurality of rollers, at least two of which are inclined upwardly and outwardly in opposite directions, for engaging the side portions of said belt for supporting the same and for forming said belt into a trough-like structure, means for supporting said rollers from said frame, said means being free to tilt a limited extent to each side of the vertical and to move both ends of each roller longitudinally of said belt but to move the outer ends of said rollers through a greater distance than the inner ends for guiding said belt on said rollers when the belt moves either forwardly or backwardly.

MYRON A. KENDALL. 

